Disney with kids

[garethanders]

Hi all. Its been a while since I checked out the boards. Me and my DW are having a child soon and want to ask all those families out their when do they think is best to take children to WDW. I mean age wise. And whats the best family hotel

Thanks in advance

 

[dworldlovers]

Congratulations!! We first took our daughter when she was 8y/o, which for us, was perfect. We didn't have to deal with a stroller or little legs!! But, that was our first trip and we weren't waiting for the perfect age to take her. We've all seen families at Disney with VERY young children and I just can't that!! If we were to have another child, I would like to take them at between 3 and 5 y/o. You would still have to stroller, but they would have such a great time and parents would so enjoy watching them be in awe!!

 

[Missyrose]

We took my nephew for his first birthday and had a blast. He was totally engaged with everything around him. He loved the characters, the rides and the fireworks (all the stuff we worried he might be scared of).

There's no "perfect age" for a first trip, just whenever you and your DW feel comfortable traveling.

 

[njmom76]

We took DD for her first trip last year at 3.5. She had a great time! That being said, we are going back next year and will have a 5.5 year old and an 8 month old (yikes!). My mom is also going with us, so we'll have 3 adults for the 2 kids and can therefore take turns going back to the resort with the baby if need be. We also find it helpful to stay at a Deluxe resort due to convenience - it is simpler to get back to the resorts midday for a break and then go back to the park at night (we also go in August, so we need the break from the heat!).

I think it really depends on what works for your family - what you can afford and what you'll be comfortable with.

 

[patches07]

My DH and myself are taking are DS for his first time he will be 3, and we are celebrating his 3rd birhday, staying off sight at Bahama Bay Resort.

 

[twinboysmom]

We have taken our twins, 2.5, 5 times with their 6th trip scheduled in September. There is no perfect age but we travel with friends frequently. If you wish to wait and not deal with the infant toddler stages, to me, 4 or 5 is a great age.

As for the best family hotel, that's certainly open to dispute. I personally think all Disney hotels are great for families. The monorail resorts are great for easier access to MK and Epcot while the Epcot resorts offer easier access to DHS and Epcot. The values are a lot of fun for kids with their over the top themes and are very family friendly. For us, our choices are CR for the walkway to the MK and monorail to Epcot, CBR for its fantastic pool/kids area, and ASMo for the value option.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

My DD has been to WDW when she was 14 months old, 2.5yo, 3.5yo, 5yo, 6yo, and 8yo. All have been great ages to take her. It's really a question of what you feel most comfortable doing.

As for the best resort, that is also a matter of personal preference and buget. With a young child, I'd highly recommend the Polynesian if you can afford it. The Wilderness Lodge is also nice because it has the boat to the MK. Both of those are deluxe hotels. At the moderate level, I'd recommend Port Orleans French Quarter or Coronado Springs. I haven't stayed at any of the value resorts so I can't really recommend any of those.

 

[kissy]

We took DS at 8 months and it was pretty easy. We also had MIL with us though (so an extra set of adult hands). We are going in Dec with DD15, DD9, DS4, and the newest addition will be 3 months old! MIL will also be going with us. Last year we had a family suite at ASMU and that was really nice. This year we're doing 2 rooms (hopefully connecting) at ASMu so MIL can have a bed and not a pull out.

 

[MMS1125]

I honestly think it depends on the parents more than the kids. If you plan on going numerous times when your child is younger (say under 10) then I don't think it really matters on the age of the first visit. If you only plan on going once I'd make sure and go after 4-5 years old so your child remembers the visit. It's all going to depend if you want to deal with all that comes with taking a baby vs an older child that's a little more independent (carseat, stroller, pack n play, etc) I def think if you go when your kiddo is a baby that it's very beneficial to stay at a monorail resort. Otherwise I think a value would engage a kid more for a first visit then you can move up steps as your child gets older (better pools and more options in mods and up)

 

[gillenkl]

You are going to get all different answers because all kids are different. We first went when our twins were 6 and it was great for us - we stayed at POFQ and had no problems with the resort.

 

[magrudersmakes3]

Our daughter has been there 4 times with her first visit at 11 months. I do have to say that the best visit was when she was 3. She has the best time and got the most out of it.

 

[Disneyhenry]

When ever you are ready, Disney is baby friendly, I took my ds to Disneyland at 3 months old ( went for a conference and DlL was across the street, couldnt resist). I love the baby stations. When I got pregnant I told my DH that our ds would either go to DL or DW every year of his life, he is only 3 but so for I have kept my word, he has been to DL twice and DW once, we are going to DL in 86 days

 

[shannonstar]

We didn't take our first trip until our son was tall enough to ride everything. He was 6. We have taken him every year since then. I am not sure he would have enjoyed it much before then anyway since he has sensory processing disorder and the World can be a bit overwhelming at times. We plan to add to our family soon and I know we will keep going even with a baby. Might take two years off though.

 

[danceintherain]

We took our son at 3 months old. It was a perfectly lovely trip. That said, DH was leaving for South Korea for a year, and I knew we wouldn't be able to get back until DS was over 2. I'm not sure when we would have gone had the circumstances been normal.

Ultimately, it depends on you. It didn't bother us at all that we spent the trip catering to a baby, because it's certainly much easier to do that at Disney than it is as any other vacation destination we could go to. We know we can easily do the things we skipped on our next trip.

Now I can't wait to take him back to see how he likes it at 2, and timing wise I'm thinking our next trip after that will likely be when he's around 5.

If it's going to be a once in a lifetime trip, I always recommend going between 5 & 7. If you plan on going frequently, then I don't think any age is too young.

 

[Colleen27]

Between my 3, I've taken kids at 16mo, 2.5, 3.5, 3.75, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13. There are pros and cons to every single age and stage.

I loved taking my youngest on her first trip when she was so little (16mo). Everything was absolutely real to her, but aside from some shyness with strangers (including characters) she wasn't afraid of anything and was absolutely in awe of the magic. It takes slowing down a bit to enjoy the world at toddler pace but we thought it was well worth it and didn't even end up splitting up as often as we'd planned because the older kids (8 & 11 at the time) didn't want to miss any of the fun with their little sister.

My middle child was 4 on her first trip and that was far more of a challenge. She was at that too big for a stroller/too little to handle all the walking well stage, she was still new enough to potty training that we had some moments of getting out of line because she decided she did have to go after all (and Right. Now. of course), and she was fearful when it came to dark rides. traveling with a toddler was much easier.

The oldest was 7 and that was a great age from a rides standpoint - he rode everything with no fear, and he'd already been to Cedar Point so he wasn't worried about anything Disney could throw at him - but it wasn't a great age for the rest. He didn't have much patience with his sister wanting to meet characters, wasn't interested in most of the shows, and had some very strong opinions about some Disney characters and experiences being "for babies".

But personality plays into it too; my older daughter at 7 was nothing like my son at 7 (he was "too cool" to meet Buzz Lightyear, she was begging for another BBB princess makeover), and my younger daughter at almost-4 is nothing like older DD was at 4 (younger is fearless and disappointed she's too small for Splash, which older didn't get brave enough to try until she was 9!)

As far as resort choice, I like the values with smaller children. There's only one bus stop, none of the rooms are a long hike from the main pool or food court, and they're lively/colorful with landscaping and decor that invite hands-on play. Alternatively, the MK or EP area deluxes are lovely for easier access to the parks and again have the more compact layout that is easier on little legs.

 

[mobesfamily]

When my twins were born we started wondering when we would take them to WDW. Then they turned 2 (horrible) and then 3(even worse). At 3 1/2 we decided the criteria would be : fully-no-doubt-about-it potty trained, before Kindergarten, no sleeping problems. Now I know there is no way to predict how anything is going to go but we have had practice staying in hotel rooms, have a pretty good idea about their ride preferences, food preferences, interaction with people in dress up and tolerance for tiredness. They will be 4 yrs 9mos when we go and knowing them well enough has made it easier to make a good touring plan (we hope) that will work for our family. This vacation is all about them and we have planned everything around them.
Every family is different and, just like everything else with kids, you just have to decide what works best for all of you.
Congrats on your pregnancy!

 

[bellebud]

our kids were dd 3.5yo and ds 21 months for their first trip. We stayed 12 days and loved every minute of it. Besides the last 2 years, we had been back about 2x's a year, every year. We never had a bad trip, or thought we shouldn't have gone.

We went at their pace for every trip, and still do. That's part of our trips being so enjoyable.

Don't wait too long for the perfect age. Every age has it bonuses, but if you wait too long, you'll miss out on a lot of the *magic* that only little ones see.

 

[jennyjinx3]

Our youngest was 23 months when we took our first trip, and she LOVED it! She kept up with her two big sisters like nobody's business and slept like a dream for us. She is the reason we keep going back! No problems. Any age is magical. Good luck with your decision and congrats on your pregnancy!

 

[garethanders]

Wow thanks guys. Me and my DW are so excited as we have enjoyed wdw on many occassion we want to share it with our children. All these post have given us alot to think about.

 

[buzznina]

We have been going to WDW since our first DD was 10 months old and when our 2nd DD was born, she was 6 months when we went (DD1 was 5 at the time). We have had great trips and both DD's really enjoy watching the videos from when they were younger We have learned to slow down and just take our time when we are there and truthfully we have enjoyed ourselves more now that we are not trying to hit every ride... We have no issues taking 1 or 2 strollers and we mainly use disney's buses.